Saving the Daily Hog
by Mure
Summary: Stephanie, Crystal, and the Gryffindor Gang try to save the school's newspaper from total meltdown from Professor Snape...but will they save it in time? Or will they lose an important part of their lives? **CHAPTER TWO IS UP** Please R&R!
1. Shocking News

**Mure's Notice Type Thing/Disclamer** I don't own Harry Potter blahblahblah. If you want to flame someone, send a letter to J.K. Rowling or Warner Brothers _; This is my first fic on fan fiction.net so I hope you like it. And I hope that you don't fall asleep with my 6th grade vocabulary XD;; This chapter is in the eyes of Harry, and soon it'll be switched up. So, before you read, I want you to read the character profiles. (by the way, some of the characters like Crystal belong to my best friend, so if you don't like her profiles .. GO TO HADES! XD)  
  
The Characters Introduced In This Chapter:  
  
Stephanie Ellen Waterlily: "Stephanie, you idiot!" "Miss Waterlily, pay attention." "Water-lily." "STEPHANIE ELLEN WATERLILY!" As you can tell, Stephanie is a goof-off. She makes passing grades, amazing as it sounds. To cut it short, Stephanie is weird. The Co-Editor of the Daily Hog, a newspaper ran by her and her best friend Crystal Celent, she is serious about her work .. half of the time anyway. Her hair is a light shade of chesnut-brown and eyes grizzly bear brown, you can't keep this high- spirited, 15 year old Gryffindor away from an adventer! (unless it was something really bad, but eh.)  
  
Crystal Catherine Clenet: Age: 16 Hair Color: Blonde, shiny Eye Color: Aqua blue Boyfriend: Currently none. Best Friends: Stephanie Waterlily, Lavender Brown, Patty Patil, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Diana Carson Best Subjects: Transfiguration, Charms Worst Subjects: Potions (that's because of Snape.), History of Magic (to boring) Likes: Trying to get Snape fired, teasing Malfoy, and writing articles for the Daily Hog Dislikes: Getting bad grades, being yelled at by Snape, getting picked on by Malfoy After school activities: Writing and printing the Daily Hog articles, practicing spells, helping Professor McGonagall with teacher stuff, studying with Hermione, helping Stephanie with Charms homework, looking for more articles for the Daily Hog Bio: Crystal Catherine Clenet has came from a very important family, her father, works in the Ministry of Magic, head of Animal Control Unit, her mother, head of the Witches Council. Crystal loves to be right and is outgoing, daring and doesn't mind having an adventure (unless it means messing up her dresses, skirts, etc.). She tries to do everything perfectly and loves order. She hates detention (takes away from her time to look for articles), especially Snape's punishments (who doesn't?), and messing up her hair. She loves to go to Hogwarts and is sometimes a little boy crazy.  
  
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The Chapter of One  
  
"Stephanie..."  
  
I poked the sleeping idiot and gently tore a piece of parchment from her forehead. I looked at the half finished homework, threw it aside, and tried to heave her from the floor and into a chair, but she wouldn't budge. I kicked at her side a few times and she simply turned over, a warm smile creeping onto her face. Rolling my eyes in fustration, I left her there for Crystal (or possibly Ron) to wake up.  
  
At the foot of the stairs, I called up to my friend Ron and then Hermione (who was rarely ever late, but it seemed to take her forever this morining) and tapped my foot impatiently. I was in a bad mood from Malfoy from last night, but I was glad it was Chirstmas and he went the devil home.  
  
"RON, HERMION--"  
  
I was knocked down by a blur of maroon red, then Hermione slowly creeped down the girl's stairway, followed by Crystal shortly after.  
  
Ron looked down at Stephanie and whispered, "Report due today."  
  
She instantly sprang up, brushed her hair with a quill and ran into the wall. Ron cracked up and as she kicked him in the shin, scribbled bunches of stuff on parchment.  
  
"Stephanie, chill, there's not report," Crystal replied to Stephanie's frantic actions, fighting back a giggle.  
  
"Oh," she said in half excitement.  
  
"Shall we head to the Main Hall?" She asked, holding out her arm like an escort.  
  
"I think we shall," we all replied together, and left the Gryffindor Common Room arm and arm.  
  
"I am STUFFED," was the answer of the 10 students as they pushed themselves from the table. We all filed out and I was suddenly pulled aside from a grinning Ron by a nervous looking Stephanie. She clenched my arm until her knuckles turned white and yelping in pain, I snatched away, hopping on one foot while nursing it.  
  
"What did you do that for?" I asked angrily.  
  
"Daily Hog. Professor McGonnagall reminded me just then that we had to turn in the issues by tonight, and we didn't even start on the paper!"  
  
Stephanie started pacing and I led her outside the Great Hall and into a broom closet. I closed the door, then shook her.  
  
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US BEFORE!" I shouted. "I forgot," she said in a small voice. I let go and walked around, looking like Stephanie.  
  
"How come you didn't bother Crystal with this news?" I asked finally.  
  
"She looked too happy," Stephanie said, sinking on her knees.  
  
"Oh, and like I didn't?"  
  
My temper was rising again. I heard a small sniff and rolled my eyes. "Oh no, don't start that," I turned away and folded my arms. Unlike other girls, Stephanie stopped instantly and poked me in the small of my back. "We'd better get started, no?" I sighed again and nodded. "I guess," I said, opening the closet door. We both stepped out and headed toward the Gryffindor Common Room to call a meeting of the press. 


	2. Meeting the Deadline

**Mure's Notice Type Thing/Disclamer** You know the drill. I don't own Harry Potter and stuff. At this point, Harry is still telling the story.  
  
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The Chapter of Two  
  
"My fellow press members," Stephanie said, a hint of monotone in her voice. "I bring terrible news."  
  
There were a few nervous glances and a small gasp here or there. I nudged her to continue. She raised her hand for a silence, took a deep breath, and droned on.  
  
"As you all know, we have an issue due. The bad thing about this is that the deadline has been moved up to tonight."  
  
Bracing the worse, she covered her head with her arms but instead of rage in the room, there was a shocked silence. Neville looked at her with his mouth half opened, Cho shook her head mournfully and the rest searched for something on the table to look at. She licked her lips and shifted her hands a bit before she continued.  
  
"You all have to find something to write about or notes that you've written before and bring them all here by 2:00 'o clock." Silence followed once more. She played at a strand of hair and tugged at her ear.  
  
"You are dismissed," she said in a final tone, and rose from the table, walking briskly out of the room.  
  
I sighed and kept writing when we met again a few minutes after noon. M hand ached, and Stephanie, finished with her articles, paced up and down the long tables, watching .. waiting. If anyone ever threw they're quill down or complained, she was on them faster than you could imagine. I barely managed to steer clear from Stephanie, and just about threw down my own quill when Ron beat me too. There she was, giving Ron a tounge lashing, and I thought better of it.  
  
The minutes dragged by and seemed like days in the cold room. I glancedout the window a few times, and sighed as I longed to go in the snow to play. I pictured snowball fights, ice skating, and visiting Hagrid. I was rudely awaken from my daydream by the rough opening of the staff room door. We all whiped our heads around and I was sure that our sour thoughts matched exactly.  
  
Snape stood there, a smug look on his face, arms folded acorss his chest. I couldn't stand his oily smile and that stupid crooked nose of his, but I forced my mind on to my work.  
  
"Waterlily, it seems your working them hard, hmm?"  
  
I looked at Stephanie's reaction. She looked calm, but she clenched and unclenched her fists behind her back.  
  
"Yessir," she forced out of her mouth and winced slightly. I could even feel the bitterness on my own tounge when she muttered those words.  
  
He walked slowly around us all, smiling as if to let out a laugh at all of us. When he turned his back to Stephanie, she made several faces and held her wand high as if to cast a bad spell against him, and instantly regained a look of seriousness when he turned back towards her. Some of us snickered without meaning to. After he finally left, smiling evilly after us, and closed the door with a huge slam.  
  
"This is pretty good, but we need more," she said in a half satisfied tone.  
  
We all let out a groan. I secretly started to /hate/ Stephanie and by the expressions of the other seven students, I'm sure they felt the same. She sighed and put down the stack of parchment.  
  
"I know, I hate this as much as you all do, but we have to do it in order for the paper to stay," the chair pushed backward and she rose, putting on a pair of reading glasses.  
  
"I'll be in the domotories looking over these. Crystal, your in charge and guys please, please, please..be serious about this whole ordeal."  
  
I heard the fading of Stephanie's footsteps and as soon as they died away, Ron got up, scretched, and smiled at everyone.  
  
"Well, since Steph is gone, we can all take a break!" He said, throwing all the parchment around.  
  
"Now wait just one minute, Ron," Crystal had, pointing her wand at the parchment and returning it to the table in a neat pile.  
  
"Stephanie left me in charge and I won't tolrate any foolishness you..all of you," she eyed us all with the same eagle-eye gaze Stephanie gave us.  
  
"Oh lighten up, Professor McGonnagall," he said, throwing an arm around her shoulders. "We;ve been working all morning, what's the rush?"  
  
"The rush is, Mr. Weasley, is that the future of our school paper is at stake," Crystal replied stiffly, shrugging his arm from around her shoulders.  
  
"Crystal is right, Ron, don't act like such an idiot," Hermione said quietly from a corner. There's a crash from outside the door and Stephanie runs in, screaming.  
  
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**Mure's Notice Type THING** Now, for your enjoyment, we will be adding the funnyness to this fic. This is not told in any of the character's POV so .. yeah XD  
  
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"WHAT'S WRONG, WOMAN?!" Lavender shook Stephanie and she pulled at her hair.  
  
"THERE'S A BIG STATUE OF A LEMON DROP INFRONT OF THE PORTAIT HOLE!!! AHHHHH!!"  
  
Crystal sighed. "Does it have Professor Dumbledore's signature on the bottom?" She asked.  
  
"YES!" Stephanie cried.  
  
"-___-"  
  
"Professor Dumbledore!! YOU GET THAT STUPID STATUE AWAY FROM THE ENTRANCE YOU CRACKPOT OLD FO--AHHHHHH!" *thonk .. thonk .. thonk .. thud .. CRASH.*  
  
Professor Dumbledore does not hear that remark and is happily munching on lemon drops. He sucks on them with delight and the door flies open. Stephanie trudges in with a statue arm on her head. "LISTEN HERE, BUDDY, YOU ARE GOING TO PAY. I WANT TO GO TO MY DORM AND--"  
  
But Professor Dumbledore is talking to his bag of lemon drops. "What is that Roy? Ah yes. Who? ok." Stephanie continues to be ignored. XD;;  
  
Crystal rushes in and slams pictures onto the desk. "PROFESSOR DUMBLEDORE! I HAVE PROOF THAT YOU AND MCGONNAGALL HAVE BEEN DATING!" No answer. "May I put these in the paper?" She asks hopefully as Stephanie is trying to pry the arm from her head. "Mmmhmmm." He said abesently, listing to his lemon drop. "YES!" Crystal runs out to make it known to the world and Stephanie hits Professor Dumbledore with the arm....  
  
Mure: ....dundunDUN. what shall happen next? will dumbledore survive? will the world now about this dating thing? to the seriousness to the fic, will hermione and ron break out? will the staff listen to Crystal? (AND WHY WON'T ROY TALKING, DERNIT?!) find out next time on STDH! 


End file.
